A new study using 3D scans of 465-million-year-old fish fossils reveals that the sensitive interior of human teeth may have originated from sensory tissue in ancient fish. Researchers found that odontodes, external bumps on these fish, contained dentine and functioned similarly to sensilla in modern arthropods, showcasing evolutionary convergence. This discovery also reclassified a fossil, Anatolepis, previously thought to be a vertebrate fish, as an arthropod. The study highlights that sensory structures might have initially evolved for environmental awareness in armored creatures before adapting for feeding and protection.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.